Resting along the banks of Lake Muskoka in Gravenhurst, Ontario, and a mere 100 miles (or 166 kilometers) north of Toronto, is a modern oasis: The Taboo Resort. The exterior features are traditional by any standards, but step through the lobby and you will instantly see that the staid and traditional approach to North Woods resort vacations (complete with roaring fireplaces) has been banished for a sleek, minimal and eco-friendly approach offering contemporary gas fireplaces with flames rising from stones and rocks. Since its renovations, you won’t see any exposed pine beams, but you will find a tranquil and modern retreat with year-round indoor and outdoor activities.

You could drive to the Taboo Resort, of course, or you could land on the lake in a float plane dispatched by the front desk to collect you for your weekend getaway. The resort itself is comprised of a series of restaurants, spas, pools, and rooms. The golf scene at the Taboo Resort is as much of a selling point as the spa, and the attention to detail given to the five restaurants spread across the complex is equally notable. With a full gym, nearby hiking, on-site tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, mountain biking, and snowshoeing in the winter, you may not need another resort to recharge your mind and body. Then again, you could just sit along the lake as the sun rises and watch the light dance across the water. Everything is possible at the Taboo Resort -- including doing nothing at all.

The emphasis placed on the minimal design at the Taboo Resort is far from being cold and depressing. Warm wood tones and soothing bed linens in white serve as a reminder that relaxation is the purpose of your stay. Bathrooms are economically modern with dual faucets in one large pedestal sink with chrome mountings, but many of the glass showers feature rain shower mountings on the ceiling. Headboards are mounted to the walls, and floating nightstands (which cradle the bed) extend form these. Side chairs are low and comfortable with fabric upholstery in gray and beige. Flat panel televisions abound and are unobtrusive, but the real view is out of your window onto the lake and surrounding 1,000-acre private wilderness owned and maintained by the Taboo Resort, ensuring the ultimate in privacy.